National Summit on Food Fortification in Tanzania

25 August 2017 // A National Summit on Food Fortification took place from August 23-24, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The summit brought together government and industry leaders, millers, international aid organizations and other stakeholders involved in fortification efforts in the country. Representatives of IF member ASBAHT were also present and were introduced to Tanzania's Vice President, her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan. Through their presence they brought to life what was being discussed at the conference.

Parents were asked to become ambassadors, to create awareness about the importance of folic acid intake and the consumption of fortified food in communities. According to the Vice President "consumer advocacy is an essential piece of the fortification landscape". The government will ensure that food fortification is properly implemented. "Development partners, government bodies such as the Tanzania Food and Drug Authority (TFDA), the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) and the Tanzania Food And Nutrition Centre (TFNC), and local government must continue to work hand in hand to guarantee that safe, high quality, fortified food products are accessible to every citizen", she said.

The Summit is a follow up to the 2015 Arusha FutureFortified Global Summit on Food Fortification. The event has been organised by the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elders and Children, and Helen Keller International Tanzania, in collaboration with many interested parties, including the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Iodine Global Network.